5 things making your bathroom harder to clean

Tackle those annoying tasks that make the cleaning take twice as long…

It's got to be done, week after week, but nobody wants to spend ages on scrubbing the tidemark off the bath or grappling to remove grime from the u-bend! So here's how to tackle the bathroom cleaning problems that make the job harder - and reclaim the time for pampering and relaxing!

Mould and mildew Lack of ventilation is a problem in many bathrooms and can lead to a build- up of unsightly black mould and mildew on shower curtains, walls, sealant and grout.

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Put nylon shower curtains in the washing machine (if the label allows). Otherwise, clean in a bath of warm water and a cup of biological detergent. Soak heavily stained curtains in a weak solution of bleach to remove mould stains.

Get into the habit of using a squeegee to dry off the shower screen after use. We like the Lakeland Good Grips Mini Squeegee £5.99 It may seem like a chore, but nothing like the chore of removing limescale deposits!

Best preventative advice though is open the window or use an extractor fan (well worth installing next time you do a bathroom refit if you don’t have one).

Slow draining plugholes How many times have you stood in the shower sloshing around ankle deep in soapy water waiting for it to drain away or had to fish wisps of hair out of the plughole? Once a month pour a kettle of boiling water over a cup of washing soda crystals scattered around each plughole. This will help clear grease and soap sum, banish odours and leave drains running freely. If the plughole gets clogged regularly with long hairs, try a plughole cover. For more stubborn drains, blocked basis, we rate Buster Bathroom Plughole Unblocker.

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Limescale If you live in a hard water area (just check the inside of your kettle if in doubt), it doesn’t take long for shower screens to start clouding over and taps to develop white chalky deposits around the base.

- Shower screens Try a daily squirt of Mr Muscle Shower Shine after every shower before you wipe down the screen or, for a natural alternative, use white vinegar (use an old spray bottle and mix up a solution of half water, half vinegar and spray on the shower screen and taps after use).

- Taps Never use abrasive cleaners on taps. To remove limescale deposits, soak a cloth in a descaler product (or solution of equal parts white vinegar and water (but not if they are gold-plated or have marble surrounds, and wrap it around the tap, leave for a few hours, remove the cloth rinse and dry tap.

- Grimy showerheads Descale once a month with a liquid descaler and an old toothbrush. Or detach and steep in a solution of half white vinegar and half water for two hours (but not if it’s gold-plated). Use a needle to de-clog any spray holes that are still blocked.

Nobody ever rinses the bath after use Bath bombs and oils left to dry hard overnight after an evening pamper session can be tricky to remove. To tackle tidemarks and built up grime, the trick is to spray liberally with your usual bathroom cleaner and walk away. Let the cleaning agent sink in for at least 15 minutes before wiping and rinsing. Alternatively, if the bath is very dirty, fill it with warm water, add a couple of scoops of biological washing powder, and leave to soak overnight. Rinse before bathing. Ideally, persuade everyone in the house to rinse the bath straight after use!

An ancient toilet brush Essential for cleaning the toilet bowl but the gatherer of nasties which then sit stewing in their containers. If yours is over a year old, treat yourself to a new one. To clean, put the brush in the toilet bowl, pour some bleach in the water and leave to stand for a few minutes. In the meantime, fill the brush container with warm soapy water and a few drops of bleach, then swish it around and flush it down the toilet bowl (after you have removed the brush). Flush clean water over the brush and return it to the container.

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